Temperate

The Alpine ibex (or Capra Ibex) is a large species of mountain goat native to the Alpine regions of Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia. Its thick coat is a uniform brown on the body, with a pale underside and a darker coloration on legs and tail. Alpine ibexes have large ridged horns that curve backwards towards the body. Males are much larger and heavier than females. They have 69cm to 98cm long horns, measure 1.49m to 1.71m in length and 0.9m to 1.05m in height, and weigh 80kg to 100kg.

The American bullfrog is a large species of amphibian that lives in the swamps, ponds and lakes of the USA and Canada. Depending on its environment, it may be dark green, pale green or pale brown dorsally with a paler coloured belly. It may have darker spots on its back and a banding pattern on its legs, although some variations of the bullfrog have no pattern. The American bullfrog is sexually dimorphic; females are larger than males, and males have distinctive yellow coloration on their throat and a much larger tympanum (ovular hearing gland) on the sides of their head.

The North American beaver is a large species of rodent that lives in the temperate woodland and riverine areas of the USA and Canada. The North American beaver has a double coat, meaning its fur has a surface layer of long, coarse hairs and an undercoat of shorter, finer hairs. This coat gives the beaver’s fur a coarse appearance. The beaver may be brown, red or tan in appearance and have small ears and eyes, a black nose high on the snout and large, pronounced front teeth. North American beavers have a head-body length of 74 to 90cm and a tail length of 20 to 35cm.

Various subspecies of moose are native to Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the USA and Canada. They live in boreal and deciduous woodland and their diet consists mostly of the young shoots from trees and woody plants. The moose is a large deer with thick brown fur and a noticeable neck hump. They have a characteristic nasal proboscis. The Alaska moose is the largest subspecies, males are extremely large, measuring between 1.7 and 2.3m tall at the shoulders, have a head-body length of 2.4 to 3.1m and weigh 380 to 700kg.

The cougar is a large species of felid that lives in the forests, mountains, grassland, deserts and scrubland of Canada, the USA, Mexico, and all of South America. The cougar is also commonly known as the puma and the mountain lion. The cougar has sandy coloured fur, thick legs and a thick tail, a broad head with rounded ears, a white muzzle and dark tear marks coming down from the eyes. Male cougars have a head-body length of 120 to 200cm, a height of 60 to 90cm at the shoulder, a tail length of 63 to 95cm and weigh between 53 and 100kg.

The California Sea Lion is a species of eared seal native to the coastal regions of the Western USA and Mexico. This sea lion is usually dark brown in colour with paler coloration on the sides and belly, although some females are pale brown in colour. Young pups are different in appearance, possessing a juvenile coat that is tan and fluffy, which they lose for their adult coat when they are between 5-7 months old. Male California sea lions measure 2.25 to 2.5m in length and weigh 250 to 350kg. Females are much smaller, measuring 1.8 to 2.1m and weighing 80 to 100kg.

The American alligator is a large species of crocodilian that lives in the rivers, swamps, marshes and wetlands of the Southern USA and Mexico. American alligators may be dark green, brown or grey in colour. They have a broad rounded head with a large gape and many teeth, of which some can be seen protruding externally. The body of the American alligator is broad, with several raised ridges of scales running down their back. Their legs stick out laterally and they move close to the ground but will raise themselves off the ground when running.

The African penguin is a flightless bird that inhabits the coastline and islands of South Africa and Namibia. The African penguin has a black back and flippers, black feet and a black face ‘mask’ with white surround. It also has a white torso with a black strap across the upper chest. The eyes of the African penguin are surrounded by pink patches which are used in thermoregulation. Each penguin has a unique pattern of black spots on its chest. African penguins are 60 to 68cm in size and weigh between 2.2 and 3.5kg. Males are slightly larger than females and have a longer beak.

The Northern diamondback terrapin is a small species of turtle that lives in the brackish and coastal swamps of the Eastern and Southern United States of America. It is characterized by its distinctive shell pattern of interlocking ‘diamonds’ that tend to have concentric light and dark rings within them. However, pattern and coloration does vary within the species. The average shell length of males is 13cm, whereas the average shell length of the female is 17cm.

The Atlantic grey seal is a species of marine mammal that lives around the landmasses of the Atlantic Ocean (UK, Ireland, Iceland, Norway, Denmark, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Canada, USA). Western Atlantic grey seals are significantly larger than the Eastern Atlantic morph. Their males measure between 2.3 and 2.9m in length and weigh 205-370kg, while females measure between 1.9-2.3m in length and weigh 160-250kg.